“Escaped? The prisoners?” Roy Manley looked at his father incredulously. “What do you mean, Dad?”
“Just what I said, son,” and the pipe never wavered between the set teeth. “They took French leave. Yesterday morning, early—’bout five o’clock, they said—two men started to shoot up the town. Of course the sheriff an’ his two deputies got on the job. When they come back, after chasin’ the gunman out, they found the jail empty an’ the bars in the windows sprung. Guess that’s all.”
CHAPTER VII
A Flivver Messenger
Teddy and Roy looked at each other with startled eyes. That rider on Mica Mountain, the puncher who sat slouched in the saddle!
“Any trace of ’em?” Teddy asked.
“Not any, son. They vamoosed clean. But lemme tell you something funny. Two days ago they decided the jail was too crowded an’ they moved Froud over to the calaboose in Marxsted. An’ he’s the only one of the rustlers they still got! Can you beat that? So, at all events, Gilly Froud is where he won’t do any harm. Anything new at the ranch?”
The ride back home was occupied with a discussion of the situation. Teddy and Roy had, of course, given up the idea of riding on to the 8 X 8, as they were anxious to know their father’s plan of action. Yet, as Teddy suggested, what could they do? It would be useless to go after the escaped rustlers. Besides, there was no need for it. Until the enemy showed his hand, they just had to sit tight. Of course it would be well to have some extra men ride herd, but, somehow, both Mr. Manley and the two boys felt the blow, if it did fall, would come from another direction.
“Maybe we’re makin’ a mountain out of a molehill,” Mr. Manley declared, as he stood near the hitching rail by the corral, the horses having been watered. “Those hoss thieves are loose. What more do they want? Why should they bother us? If they want to start up another gang and go back to rustling again, that’s up to them. But I have a hunch that’s not what they’re after. They’ve had their fill of that game. And, besides, the sheriff said that two of those babies came from New York. That mean anything? Remember the barkeeper in Rimor’s place who tried to crash me with a bottle when I went in after that hombre with the checkered shirt?”
“Sure do!” Teddy remarked excitedly. “He came from New York, too, didn’t he? They must be importing a bunch of gunmen down here! Do you think the bird in Rimor’s is one of the gang, Dad?”